Although there are many factors that will determine which procedure is best for you (or your child), common considerations include:

• • The Patient’s Age: Younger patients, who have yet to reach skeletal maturity, are often eligible for more conservative treatments, like scoliosis bracing or vertebral body tethering.
  • The Severity of the Deformity: As a rule of thumb, abnormal curvatures that exceed 50 degrees often require surgery. (Of course, this doesn’t apply to situations such as flatback syndrome, where curvature is conspicuously absent; or, spondylolisthesis (aka a slipped vertebra), in which the percent of forward slide often dictates treatment. For these unique situations, your doctor will determine the best options for you on a case-by-case basis.) However, keep in mind that your doctor should always tailor his or her approach to fit your set of circumstances.
  • The Type of Deformity: Certain types of spinal deformities respond better to certain types of surgical intervention. For example, osteotomies (such as the Posterior Column Osteotomy) add inward curvature (aka lordosis) back to the spine. As such, these procedures are appropriate for flatback syndrome, but would not be useful for reversing hyperlordosis.
  • The Patient’s Treatment History: If possible, then your surgeon will first attempt to use conservative treatment options before suggesting surgery. Usually, a patient will try treatments such as physical therapy or chiropractic care for at least 6 months before choosing surgery.

In addition, listed below you will find a growing catalog of spinal deformity treatments and surgeries that Dr. Lowenstein has expert knowledge to perform or coordinate. (Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a procedure that you’re interested in receiving! This list displays only a fraction of the services and minimally invasive procedures that Dr. Lowenstein is qualified to perform.)

Dr. Jason Lowenstein, MD is a board-certified, fellowship-trained scoliosis surgeon with extensive research and surgical experience in spinal pathology. For adult and pediatric spinal deformity advice that you can trust, contact Dr. Lowenstein, America’s premier scoliosis expert!